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EP0418427A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Exposure process

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-12-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-12-18
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Abstract

Abstract A photomask is made in contact with or approach a board to which a photosensitive material for a printed circuit is applied, and a clearance between the photomask and the board is filled up with a liquid such as water. The liquid, which has smaller difference in refractive index between the same and the photomask and the photosensitive material as compared with air, facilitates linearity of light. Thus, a pattern provided on the photomask can be reproduced on the photosensitive material, i.e., the board, in high fidelity.

Inventors

  • 👤 Eiichi Miyake

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-04 23:33
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70216; G03F7/70341; G03F7/7035; H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/0073; H05K3/0082; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/07; H05K2203/0756; H05K2203/0776

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 72 words
An exposure process of making a photomask and an object of exposure in contact with or approach each other and applying light onto said object of exposure through said photomask thereby performing exposure processing on said object of exposure along a pattern drawn on said photomask, said process including a step of filling up a clearance between said photomask and said object of exposure with a liquid for performing said exposure processing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 72 words
An exposure process of making a photomask and an object of exposure in contact with or approach each other and applying light onto said object of exposure through said photomask thereby performing exposure processing on said object of exposure along a pattern drawn on said photomask, said process including a step of filling up a clearance between said photomask and said object of exposure with a liquid for performing said exposure processing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 42 words
An exposure process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said step of filling up a clearance between said photomask and said object of exposure with a liquid includes a step of dipping said photomask and said object of exposure in said liquid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 88 words
An exposure process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said step of filling up a clearance between said photomask and said object of exposure with a liquid includes a step of applying said liquid onto at least either said photomask or said object of exposure and a step of making said photomask and said object of exposure approach each other while locating said liquid between said photomask and said object of exposure thereby filling up said clearance between said photomask and said object of exposure with said liquid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 55 words
An exposure process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said object of exposure has an opposite pair of major surfaces to be exposed and said photomask is arranged in relation to each of said major surfaces of said object of exposure, said exposure processing being simultaneously performed on both of said pair of major surfaces.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 79 words
An exposure process comprising the steps of: preparing a container of a translucent material having at least a flat bottom wall and being filled up with a liquid; fixing a photomask along the inner side of said bottom wall of said container; arranging an object of exposure above said photomask to be in contact with or approach said photomask; and applying light from below said bottom wall of said container to perform exposure processing on said object of exposure.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 79 words
An exposure process comprising the steps of: preparing a container of a translucent material having at least a flat bottom wall and being filled up with a liquid; fixing a photomask along the inner side of said bottom wall of said container; arranging an object of exposure above said photomask to be in contact with or approach said photomask; and applying light from below said bottom wall of said container to perform exposure processing on said object of exposure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 101 words
An exposure process in accordance with claim 5, wherein said object of exposure has an opposite pair of major surfaces to be exposed and said step of arranging said object of exposure above said photomask includes a step of arranging one of said major surfaces to face said photomask, said exposure process further including a step of arranging a second photomask within said liquid to be in contact with or approach the other said major surface and a step of applying light from above said second photomask for performing exposure processing on said other major surface of said object of exposure.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 86 words
An exposure process comprising the steps of: preparing a container of a translucent material having at least a flat side wall and being filled up with a liquid; fixing a photomask along the inner side of said side wall of said container; arranging an object of exposure within said container to be in contact with or approach the lateral side of said photomask; and laterally applying light toward said side wall from the exterior of said container for performing exposure processing on said object of exposure.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 86 words
An exposure process comprising the steps of: preparing a container of a translucent material having at least a flat side wall and being filled up with a liquid; fixing a photomask along the inner side of said side wall of said container; arranging an object of exposure within said container to be in contact with or approach the lateral side of said photomask; and laterally applying light toward said side wall from the exterior of said container for performing exposure processing on said object of exposure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 15 words
An exposure process in accordance with claim 1, wherein water is employed as said liquid.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 23 words
An exposure process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said object of exposure is a board for serving as a printed circuit board.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 19 words
An exposure process in accordance with claim 1, wherein said light applied in said exposure processing is collimation light.

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